everard



NITSED STATES PATENT Orrrcst HERBERT H. EVERARD, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO IHLING BROS. & EVERARD, OF SAME. PLACE.

DU PLlCATE-WHIST APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,185, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed March 22, 1894- Serial No. 504,621. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LHERBERT H. EVERARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Duplicate-Whist Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in to apparatus for playing duplicate whist, and is more especially designed as an improvement on a similar apparatus shown and claimed in the patent, No. 462,448, to Cassius M. Paine and James L. Sebring, dated November 3, 1891.

The elastic bands shownin the Paine-Sebring patent are not detachable, and even when made of the finest quality of rubber bands, silk-covered, they would soon become worn out.

2c The objects of my invention are to make trays similar to the trays shown in this Paine- Sebring patent, in which the rubber bands or other elastic bands for the card-holders are easily detachable, so that they may be removed and renewed very readily and quickly, and at the same time are so neatly and smoothly attached that their attaching device will not mar a fine card-table on which they are placed or be very likely to injure the cards used in playing the game.

A further object is to provide an elastic band that can be quickly and easily attached to these old-style trays.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by 5 the devices shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 presents a top plan view of the socalled card-tray embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

showing my preferred method of making the elastic bands detachable.

The sectional view is taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the sectional line.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A is a square of pasteboard or other suitable material suitably covered, on which the cards are placed, and is provided with four holders for the hands, consisting of elastic bands B. This square of pasteboard has come to be known by whist players as a tray and will be referred to hereinafter in this specification as a tray.

13 are elastic bands which pass from the center of each side toward the middle of the tray and are secured in position by suitable hooks. My invention consists in making these bands detachable and in the method of making these bands detachable, so that as soon as they become worn new ones can be easily substituted and so prolong'the life of the tray.

.Fig. 2 shows the construction. This consists of detachable hooks D, which are securely attached to the ends of the elastic band B, the hooks'each having a thin flat shank O, which is pressed into the cardboard, as shown in the drawings. A depression is cut, so that when the shank C is inserted the hook comes below the surface of the tray and thus presents no projection above to interfere with the movement of the cards or to mar the polished table when placed upon it. This form of the device can be readily attached to the old-style tray by punching out a small depression, affording space to allow the hook to project below the surface. The rubber band when attached in this way is secured to the hook and the shank C by being folded into the same and the end of the metal compressed. This spreads the band out over the metal, concealing it entirely from view, and

allows the enlarged end where the band and hook unite vto be compressed, so that they will readily settle into depressions in the board A, thus leaving a flat even surface at the top of the tray, with only the soft rubber band projecting, making the attachment of the band in this way perfect for its purpose. 0 The bands of this tray serve to hold the cards, and the game is played in substantially the same Way as that described in the Paine-Sebring patent above referred to. These are improvements to make that tray more dura- 5 ble and to secure an easier means of repairing it, the insertion of the rubber bands in the ordinary way being rather expensive and also very likely to mar the appearance of the trays where they are made of fine material.

My improved holders can be considerably varied without departing from my invention. Other elastic bands than rubber can be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In duplicate whist apparatus, the combination of the trays; broad, flattened hooks square at the end; rubber band holders folded into the ends of said hooks, so that the bands can be easily detached or renewed the hooks being adapted to be concealed in the depressions in the tray and the bands spreading over the same to conceal them from View, as specified.

2. In duplicate whist apparatus, the combination of elastic rubber band holders, B; broadened flat hooks of metal having a shank, C, the hook being broad enough to engage the bands square at the end by folding over the same; a tray, A, with depressions in which said hooks are located so that the shanks can pass into the substance of the tray and leave the hook entirely concealed by the bands spread over the same for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two Witneses.

HERBERT Il. EVERARD. [L. \Vitnesses:

WALTER S. V0010, M. IRENE LONGYEAR. 

